Geez, I've managed to go more than 45 years without ever having a chigger bite and now it's happened twice in the span of a couple of weeks. I was sitting here surfing the net and noticed that the areas around my ankles were itching like mad. I pulled down my sock tops and sure enough there were several chigger bites on both legs underneath the socks. And I haven't even been out hiking.
The new boots must be working though because they were confined to the area under the tops of the socks and none at all on my feet, so that's something I guess. I figure I must have gotten into them this morning when I was unloading. The area had grass, which was mowed, but could still have been infested with the little monsters. Must have been as it's the only place I've walked on any grass today.
I've gone through all the steps to treat the bites; scrubbed with hot soapy water, washed with alcohol, and slathered on some Benedryl cream. The itching has subsided a bit. I'll have to keep after them with the alcohol and creams until they dry up. maybe jumping right on them this time will shorten the length of time for the maddening itch.
I figure my body chemistry must be changing in my old age, that's the only explanation for the little monsters' sudden appetite for my flesh. They've never had a taste for me before now. I guess the next thing will be mosquitoes taking a liking to me now. Damn pests.
Well, at least chiggers, as annoying as their bites may be, aren't known to carry any infectious diseases. I guess I'll be remembering this as The Year Of The Chigger.